Memorandum submitted by Revd Douglas J
M Caffyn
1. This paper considers "the Agency's
relationship with non-Governmental stakeholders and the general
public".
2. In the paper it is claimed that the Agency
gives too high a priority to Angling at the expense of other recreations.
3. Good government requires that Government
Agencies treat each of their client groups fairly.
4. Evidence:
(a) The founders of the Agency gave statutory
priority to Angling over other recreations. It is required to
promote angling without qualification, it is only required to
promote other recreations as it thinks desirable.
(b) The Agency has appointed to its Statutory
Regional Fisheries, Ecology and Recreation Committees:
| 91 | people whose main interest is Angling and Fisheries
| 63% | |
| 17 | | Navigation
| 12% | |
| 14 | | Recreation
| 10% | |
| 13 | | Conservation
| 9% | |
| 10 | | Other
| 7% | |
| |
| | |
The committee membership does not reflect the interests of
the general public.
(c) The Agency retains funds from the Angling Rod Licence
exclusively for Angling. Funds for boat licences and other recreations
are not retained exclusively for these activities. So although
there are many anglers who use the rivers for which the Agency
is the Navigation Authority they contribute nothing to the cost
of maintaining these rivers.
(d) The Agency spends a disproportionate amount of Government
Grant in Aid on Angling.
(e) The Agency spends a disproportionate amount of the
funds which it receives from non-Government sources on Angling.
(f) The Agency has a disproportionate number of staff
working for Angling.
(g) The Salmon and Trout Association claim on their web-site
that they have influence greater than their number would warrant.
This is because the Agency bows too easily to pressure from Angling
organisations.
(h) The committee chaired by Lord Moran to promote Angling
has too great an influence on the Agency's decisions.
(i) The Agency regularly claim that there are four million
anglers. The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General have
examined the evidence for this claim and state that the figure
is unreliable. The Agency produce no figures for people engaged
in other recreational activities.
(j) The Agency fails to acknowledge the reduction in the
number of people fishing on rivers which has fallen from about
5,000,000 in 1950 to about 500,000 licensed river anglers today.
(k) The Agency fails to publicise the fact that of the
claimed 2.6 million freshwater anglers only 1.3 million purchase
a rod licence. There is a loss to the Exchequer of about £25
million each year.
(l) While the Countryside Agency is actively engaged in
establishing where there are public rights of way on land, the
Agency refuses to try to establish where there are public rights
of navigation on non-tidal rivers.
(m) The Agency allows free access to the Mole Relief Channel
for anglers but has failed to come to an agreement with the British
Canoe Union about the use of the channel for canoes. The Agency
seeks to put much stronger restraints on the use by canoeists
than it requires for anglers.
(n) The Agency allows live-baiting on the waters it owns
despite the fact that this activity is considered barbaric by
many anglers and most non-anglers.
5. The Committee are asked to recommend that the Agency
should increase its work on the development of recreations other
than angling.
Revd Douglas J M Caffyn
December 2005
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